Revenge
by thepudz
Summary: Judy and Nick were supposed to be living normal lives as police officers... But the world has different plans. Bellwether has broken out of prison, and her first course of action? Ruin the two animals who ruined her. Judy and Nick must push their way through Bellwether's torment... But what they never expected was how attached they'd become to each other. WildeHopps.
1. Escape

**PRISON  
APRIL 16**

It was all because of that _damn_ bunny and fox. That's why Dawn Bellwether is locked up in this _damn_ cell with these _damn_ idiotic prisoners.

 _Damn_ them.

She lay in a messy, unmade, dirty bed, one leg over the other as she stared at the concrete ceiling. She'd been here for six months now, and she couldn't be _sicke_ rof it. A lifetime sentence is what they gave her. A _lifetime._ How the hell is she going to spend a lifetime in a grey prison, with prisoners who's IQ's were lower than the room temperature, food that would make even a _pig_ vomit, and abusive guards?

She sighed, aggressively, turning to face the wall to her left. Every prisoner was supposed to be asleep by now, but Bellwether was lucky to get an hour of sleep a night. She usually stays up, planning.

Planning to _get out._

It would be tough, to say the least. Guards would stop you in a heartbeat. She needed some way to distract them long enough to make a run for the fence. Of course, the fence had barbed wire atop of it, but her thick wool would be like armor to it.

It would take a miracle to even get that close, however. There are watchtowers _everywhere_ that would shoot you down. She'd need to get into the control room and open the gates for all prisoners so that they could act as meat shields.

She jolted at the sound of her heavy gate unlocking, and one of the guards using all their strength to open it. The guard looked at the other person in Bellwether's cell. A rhino, who barely spoke or did…, anything, really.

"Prisoner 209. Get up, you're moving to a different cell," The guard said in a monotone voice. Prisoner 209… He was referring to the rhino. At least, that's what Bellwether hoped. The rhino grunted, a deep, croaky grunt, before slowly getting up out of his bed.

Every step that rhino made shook the room, much to Bellwether's annoyance. When a prisoner is moved, it's usually to make room for a new arrival. So Bellwether was probably getting a new prison mate. Like she gave a damn. New prisoners are fresh meat for the tough guys. When Bellwether moved in, however, she made sure that _everyone_ was under her power. She made deals with the big guys for protection, and anyone that opposed the sheep would get a beating, or worse.

"Meet your new friend, Bellwether," Another guard dragged a wolf by his arm, and practically threw him in to the cell. The wolf was skinny, handsome, and looked actually smart, which was a first in this prison.

"Hey… Name's John," The wolf grinned as the guard slammed the gate close, and the buzzer ran throughout the prison, meaning it had been locked. Bellwether turned to face this wolf, who sat on the ground, giving a slight wave to the sheep.

"John, huh? I have one thing to say to you, John," Bellwether said.

"Wazzat?"

"You let me think _alone,_ you'll wake up in the morning unharmed." Bellwether turned back around to face the wall.

"H-hey, hang on, I got something to show ya!" The wolf stuttered. Bellwether sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Piss off."

"No, seriously, I'm sure it'll be worth your time!" The wolf begged. Bellwether closed her eyes in frustration, before giving in and turning around to face the wolf.

"I swear, if this is a waste of…" Bellwether trailed off when she saw something the wolf's hand. Her eyes widened at about the same time the wolf's mouth turned into a grin.

"Security ain't so good here, huh?" The wolf cockily said. Bellwether smirked.

In the wolf's hand was a pistol.

"How the hell did you sneak _that_ in?" Bellwether whispered. The wolf simply grinned, tucking the pistol into his prison outfit.

"I have my ways. Let's just say that some of my fur is thicker than you think. So, what d'ya say? Tomorrow break, prison yard, we start an absolute riot, and among all the chaos, climb the fence and haul ass outta here? Zootopia's about a night's walk from 'ere," The wolf whispered. Bellwether couldn't agree faster. Finally, the opportunity she'd been waiting for! A chance to leave this god awful place once and for all.

"What d'ya plan to do once you get out?" John asked as he stepped into his bed. Bellwether put on an evil grin, one that was visible through the darkness.

"You heard of Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps?" Bellwether asked. The wolf nodded, frowning as he stared at the concrete ceiling. He knew _exactly_ who those two were.

"They put me in 'ere. Bastards," John growled.

"Then you _might_ like what I have in mind for them," Bellwether grinned. The wolf turned to face the ship, a sly smile printed on his face.

"What's your brilliant plan?" He asked.

" _Revenge_ ," Bellwether growled. John's smile widened, and he slightly laughed.

"What, as in kill 'em?"

"No, that'd be anticlimactic. Torment them. Torture them, drive them apart, and ruin their lives. Only kill them once I get bored with them," Bellwether _casually_ explained. John chuckled, his eyes slightly widened in shock.

"Holy crap…"

Bellwether looked up at the ceiling, an evil smile on her face. Her opportunity was in reach. She couldn't let it slip. John would start a riot, and she'd use the madness to vanish. That's the plan. The best one she could come up with. She finally had the chance to do something she's wanted to do for six months… The chance to finally laugh in Nick and Judy's _stupid_ faces. Maybe this time, a goddamn _grape_ won't ruin everything. This time, she knew full well she had it in her hands. Her time had come.

It was finally time to get revenge on Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps.

* * *

 **ZOOTOPIA  
APRIL 17**

Nick Wilde's eyes awoke to not only the morning sun beaming into his apartment through the cracks in his curtains, but to the sound of his ringtone, and his phone vibrating on the desk next to his bed. His ringtone was Gazelle's _Try Everything,_ which is what Judy had set it to when she had asked to 'borrow' Nick's phone for a few seconds. He didn't have the heart to change it, but he absolutely _hated it_.

Nick picked up the phone, and saw that someone was calling him. The text ' _Carrots_ ' beamed on screen alongside a picture of the cute bunny. He smirked, before answering the call.

"Hey, Carrots," Nick mumbled as he sat up in his bed.

"Don't tell me you _just_ woke up," Judy said. Nick walked over to his closet to get into his police uniform.

"Course not," He lied. He could _hear_ the rabbit roll her eyes on the other end.

"Liar. You really gotta use an alarm sometime, Nick, or you'll be late to work _every day_ ," Judy huffed. Nick got the last piece of clothing on, and went outside his bedroom to make himself his morning coffee.

"No coffee, Nick, or you'll be late," Judy sighed. Nick froze, his eyes widened. He tried to find the words to speak, but he eventually put two and two together.

"Are you… Outside my apartment building?" He asked with a slight laugh. Judy stuttered on the other end as Nick went to the window.

"N-no, of course not!" She said with obvious panic in her voice.

Nick looked out his window, and smirked when he looked down and saw that oh so familiar rabbit on ground level. He raised the phone to his ear, a smirk on his face.

"Well, I see outside my apartment building a tiny little bunny with a tiny little police uniform on, tapping her tiny little foot on the ground in annoyance with a phone raised to her overly large ear, so _unless_ you've got some _twin sister_ that has _also_ decided against carrot farming and has _also_ joined the police force and has _also_ got a lieutenants badge that you've _somehow_ never told me about, then I _think that may be you_ ," Nick teased. Judy sighed on the other end in defeat, and Nick could see her tap her little paws quicker.

"Alright, alright, fine, you got me. Now get out here before I come up there and _drag_ you out," Judy growled. Nick brushed it off as he opened his apartment door, and stepped into the elevator to go to ground floor.

"I'm waiting, Nick," Judy impatiently said.

"Hey, if you've got some way to make an elevator faster, I'd _love_ to know," Nick smirked, causing an annoyed sigh from Judy. The elevator doors finally opened up and Nick walked out the apartment building to meet the cute rabbit herself, who immediately grabbed Nick's arm.

"C'mon, c'mon, we're gonna be late!"

The rabbit damn near _tore_ Nick's arm off as she ran full speed to the police station. The citizens of Zootopia stepped out of the way on the sidewalk for the two animals, one rabbit with a determined look in her eye, and one fox who looked more scared than anything.

"J-Judy, stop!" Nick cried out, but to no avail as the rabbit seemed to go _faster. 'I guess this is revenge for not coming out of my apartment quick enough… Past Nick, I_ _ **hate**_ _you…'_

"Aaaaaand we're here!" Judy called out as she came to a sudden halt in front of the large ZPD building. While Judy casually strolled towards the large building, the fox leaned forward, placing both paws on his knees, gasping, recovering from the _near death experience_ he just had. He felt dizzy, and his head spun faster than anything.

"Hey, you okay?"

Nick looked up to see the violet eyed rabbit staring him straight in the eye, a concerned look on her face. Nick put on his usual smirk, straightening up and trying to act cool, but on the inside, he felt like he was about to puke his guts out.

"Yeah, I'm… I'm fine…" He panted as he tried to walk forward, but instead lost his balance, and fell forward. Luckily, Judy caught him mid-fall, wrapping one arm around the front of him and the other around the back. She used all her strength to support him, and he looked over at her, a smile on his face.

"Thanks…"

Nick finally started walking again, and he entered the station. He went past all the offices, saying his usual greetings and whatnot, and eventually reached the backdoor with Judy. Past this back door was the training facility, with a full 400 meter running oval and multiple other exercise tasks that officers need to go through. Even after six months, Nick still has some training left to do, and Judy was his trainer. Sometimes this was good, other times… Not so much.

"Alright, I want you to do five laps of the track. Try and beat your last time this run," Judy grinned.

This was one of the _bad_ times.

"I practically just ran through all of Zootopia, Carrots. Do I _really_ have to do this?" Nick asked. Judy simply smirked, line up at the starting line with a stop watch in hand.

"Okay, let's make a deal… Since I missed out on my morning coffee, if I beat my record time, _you_ have to buy it for me," Nick offered. Judy immediately nodded, grinning at the sly fox.

"Deal," She said as she stuck out a paw for Nick to shake. He took it, a smirk on his face. He lined up at the starting line, determination his eyes and Judy's finger on the start button of her stopwatch. He was ready to do this. _'Time to get a free coffee.'_

"Hopps! Wilde!"

A big, booming voice echoed through the training facilities, interrupting Nick's focus. The fox and bunny turned to the door, and were met with none other than the massive bull himself, Chief Bogo. "You two report to my office! I've got something for you!"

Nick thanked all that is holy that Bogo just saved him some time. The two animals followed the bull back into the main building, and eventually into his office. Judy closed the door when everyone was in, and Judy and Nick sat at one end of a table in rather small chairs, while Bogo sat in a rather large chair at the other end.

"I've got an assignment for you two, pretty dangerous one," Bogo instructed as he reached into his drawer and grabbed a folder. He threw the folder onto the desk, and Judy opened up. She saw a picture of a large cat in a mug shot. He looked mean, with a scar across his eye.

"That is Misker. He's been destroying public property lately. Stuff like cars, buildings, the lot. We sent a squad after him, but they got pretty roughed up by his little gang. We locked him up once, but his gang got him out the next day. We need you to apprehend him, and bring him to us alive, and we'll lock him up in a high class prison. We've picked up some info, and he's going to be attacking the Zootopia bank tomorrow. You two will be there to stop him. This operation will be performed tomorrow, so study up tonight. You have a right to refuse this assignment, as our previous squad got reports of firearms in his gang's possession," Bogo explained.

Judy and Nick scanned over the files and photos. One had surveillance camera footage of a gang member pointing a pistol at a civilian. Nick and Judy looked at each other, and they both nodded in agreement.

"We accept."

"Good. Now get out," Bogo waved them off. It was the average sign off the two would get. The rabbit and fox exited the office, making their way back to the training facilities.

"What do you make of it?" Judy asked as she flipped through the files once more.

"I always like to get some action. Sounds interesting to me," Nick smirked. Judy looked up at the sly fox, a smile on her face. She _loved_ his cocky smirk, every time. The two made it back to the training facilities, and got back in the same positions as before. Only this time, Nick didn't feel as exhausted.

"Alright… Go!" The rabbit called out, and Nick was immediately off. She watched the fox jog around the oval. She watched him _intensely._ He'd defiantly improved since six months ago, that's for sure. He was faster, fitter…

' _Hotter.'_

Woah, where did _that_ come from?! Judy blinked rapidly, removing that thought from her head _immediately._ Thinking Nick was hot? What the hell is wrong with her? She shook her head, focusing back on the running fox. He was beating his record so far, which was always great to see. She smiled a bright smile at the fox, and he glanced at her, taking note of her encouragement, which actually made him _faster._

He eventually finished his fifth lap, puffing, but slightly smirking up at the bunny. "How'd I go?"

Judy simply grinned back, an evil grin. "Well, I'm not buying you a coffee, that's for sure."

Nick looked back down at the ground, panting even more. "Oh, come on…"

Judy placed a paw on Nick's shoulder smiling at him. "I reckon you did good. C'mon, we got some paperwork to do."

Nick followed Judy out the door, still heaving. "You know I hate the paperwork, Carrots."

"So does everyone, Nick… But hey. At least you got tomorrow to look forward to."

* * *

 **PRISON  
APRIL 17**

Bellwether and John finally entered the prison yard late in the afternoon. The sun had almost gone down, but some prisoners still remained out in the yard. The guards weren't as heavy during this time, which was great. Perfect for the escape.

"How many bullets you got in that gun?" Bellwether whispered.

"Eight," John replied.

"Alright… Shoot the guard by the door of the building first, and then I can get his gun. Then, just fire away. Hopefully the meatbags do their jobs as good shields," Bellwether whispered. John nodded, before the two went over to a mean pack of large dogs. From there, John suddenly pulled out his pistol, aimed at the guard Bellwether mentioned, and pulled the trigger.

"Escape time, boys!" John called out to every prisoner in the yard as the bullet hit the guard in the chest. The rest of the prisoners realized what was going on, and made a run for it. Bellwether sprinted to the downed guard, and reached into his holster, grabbing the pistol. She unloaded the clip to count the bullets, before putting the clip back in.

"Please…" The guard, who was _somehow still alive_ , hoarsely hissed. "I… I have a wife and kids…"

Bellwether simply glared down at the dying guard, an empty look in her eyes. "That is _so_ cliché," She scoffed, before raising the gun and shooting the guard in the head. He flopped onto the ground, dead. Bellwether started sprinting to the gate, using the pack of prisoners as a meat shield. A guard in the watch tower had given up on peace, and had now set up a machine gun to mow down the prisoners, so Bellwether had to be careful.

"B-Bellwether!"

The sheep stopped at the crying voice, and she turned to her left to see John, who had now been shot in the stomach by one of the stray bullets. Bellwether sprinted over to him, squatting down.

"G-get me out of here…" He croaked. Bellwether stared at the wounded wolf for a few seconds, before snatching the gun out of his hand and taking out the clip, stealing his ammo. She then stood up, and ran to the fence, leaving John for dead.

A bunch of prisoners were climbing the fence, and Bellwether buried herself in the crowd as she climbed the chain fence. As expected, the razor on top didn't scar her one bit, and she climbed it with ease. She dropped down onto the dusty ground, and sprinted for her _life._ She heard the sounds of the machine gun being fired, and she saw prisoners drop at her side. She continued running, until she was finally in the clear. Her heart beat faster than anything.

"Oh, boy… Can't believe I actually made it out…" Bellwether heard one of the surviving prisoners pant. The sheep realized she was still with the prisoner group, and she knew this was her opportunity.

"Who here was put behind bars because of Judy Hopps or Nick Wilde, or both?" Bellwether asked. A lot put their hands up, much to Bellwether's satisfaction. "Good... Come with me. We're going to Zootopia. Anyone else is free to join. Just know that if you try to betray me… You won't be waking up anymore." Bellwether showed off the gun. She spun it on her finger, before putting it in the pants of her prison outfit.

"Let's go, boys," Bellwether called out as she started walking in the direction of Zootopia.

"It's time for some good ol' fashion _revenge._ "

 **TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

 _ **A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed this first chapter! It's going to get more interesting, I promise! For those who don't know, if you review, you will get a guaranteed reply. Don't be shy! Thank you for reading. See you next chapter.**_


	2. Job

**ZOOTOPIA  
APRIL 18**

Judy loitered inside the bank, posing as a normal civilian with her pink shirt and jeans. She was waiting for her target, Misker, to come in through the front door. If he makes any suspicious movement, Judy would have to arrest him. She sat a bench, swinging her legs, waiting for that damn cat to come through the door.

"So, how goes it?" Judy heard the voice in her earpiece speak. It was Nick. He was waiting from a vantage point, and would only join in if things got hairy.

"Waiting," Judy replied with a sigh.

"Ah, yes. You bunnies are known for your impatience," Nick teased. Judy ignored the comment, instead focusing on the door. That's when she spotted him. A large cat, with two smaller cats by his side, storming towards the bank. Judy readied herself to take down all of them when the time comes. The three cats entered the bank, looking around the large building for any cops. There was one guard by the vault, and he stood with both paws behind his back. Judy continued to watch the three kittens, making herself ready to go. Judy looked back at the guard to check what equipment he had, as he was Judy's only support in the bank.

Judy didn't expect a gunshot to sound, and the guard to suddenly spring back in the wall. That's when Judy saw the bullet hole in the guard's chest. He had been shot. Judy turned to see one of the smaller kittens, who held a pistol in his hands. Judy charged towards the cat, but was stopped when he aimed his gun at her.

"Don't move! Nobody move!" He shouted. Even with special training, you can't take down someone with a gun trained on you. Judy would have to wait until an opportunity presented itself. The three cats moved to the vault, and pulled out an explosive to break in. The cat with the gun still looked at Judy, making sure she didn't move. Judy knew full well that she would be shot the second she moved an inch. The vault door blew open, and an the explosion was that opportunity.

As the loud explosion echoed through the bank, Judy ran towards the three cats, aiming for the one with the gun first. The smoke of the explosion made it hard to see, but Judy eventually saw a silhouette of one of the cats. She hopped up, before sending a leg swinging and connecting with the cats head. The cat was immediately knocked unconscious, and Judy inspected the unconscious body of the cat. _'Still breathing… But I don't see a gun… Oh, crap!'_

The one with the gun was still out there. Judy suddenly felt an arm wrap around her neck lifting her up. The cat who had grabbed her dragged her into the vault for execution.

Judy quickly shot her head back, head-butting whoever was grabbing her, causing them to lose their grip and drop the rabbit. She turned around to see it was the cat with the gun. The cat raised the gun up, and pulled the trigger. Judy quickly hopped to the left to dodge the gunshot, and she hopped towards the cat with the gun, who fired a second shot, just missing Judy. The rabbit came down with a leg out, and kicked the cat in the top of the head.

Judy made sure the second cat was alive, and she was pleased to see he still drew breath. Now she needed to apprehend the leader.

' _Where is Misker?_ '

Judy looked around, and quickly spotted the large cat, who had left the bank and was now climbing the ladder on the side of a building across the street. Judy started running.

"Someone hold down those two cats! The police are on their way!" Judy told the civilians as she ran out the bank. She spotted Misker running for his life across the roof tops. Judy crossed the street, cars quickly stopping for her. She reached the same ladder Misker just climbed, and she latched herself onto it, quickly raising herself up the ladder. She spotted Misker at the top, and he was trapped on the edge of the roof with nowhere to go.

"Put your paws in the air!" Judy called out as she slowly walked over to the big cat. Misker had his back turned to the rabbit, but he slowly obeyed, raising his paws up. Judy grabbed her hand cuffs to arrest the big cat.

She didn't expect the cat to suddenly move his hand. That's when Judy realized Misker had a switchblade in his paw, and he had just switched it. He swung the blade at Judy, and she quickly dodged. Misker charged at Judy, and she suddenly felt herself being trapped. Misker grabbed Judy by the shirt, raising her up and slowly inching the switchblade to her throat. Judy wasn't scared however. She simply _smirked_ to the big cat.

"Did I mention that I have a partner?" She joked. Just then, the big cat was grabbed and thrown, causing him to release Judy. Judy was happy to see it was Nick who had just flung the cat of her.

"Oh, sorry. Didn't mean to scare ya," Nick said in a fake sympathetic voice. The big cat growled, and reached for his switchblade. He was surprised to find he had empty paws, and he looked up to see the fox hold his switchblade in the air.

"Missing something?" Nick taunted. Misker was speechless as Nick put away the switchblade and Judy approached him with hand cuffs.

"The police are already on their way. You have nowhere to go. Just surrender and no one gets hurt," Judy called out. Misker seemed _terrified._ He knew he was cornered. There was only one place to go…

Misker turned around and quickly jumped off the side of the building.

"No!" Judy cried, sprinting over to the edge of the building. She leaned over to see the cat sprawled out on the ground, screaming pain. He was still alive, but the way his body was positioned caused Judy's eyes to widen, and her jaw to drop. His legs were completely messed up, and Judy thinks she saw some bone sticking out. She covered her mouth so that she wouldn't be sick, but she knew she'd never get that mental image out of her head. Nick didn't dare to look, instead grabbing Judy's arm and pulling her in for a hug.

"It's not your fault, Carrots…" Nick whispered soothingly. Judy was hyperventilating, panicking about that sight. Nick heard police sirens in the distance, and he knew the police would find Misker's messed up body.

' _Oh, boy…'_

* * *

"I told him he had nowhere to go, and instructed him to surrender. I slowly approached him, and when I was about three meters away, he jumped. I immediately leaned over the building, and saw that he was alive. Police cars came, and they took me here."

Judy was telling Bogo about the incident that just occurred in the morning. After being taken away by the police on discovery on Misker's state, Nick and Judy sat in a waiting room for over five hours. Injuring a suspect who was armless was a serious offense in the ZPD. Judy sat in an interrogation room, a flashlight in her face. She could see the door into the waiting room behind Bogo, and she could see Nick with his arms crossed, waiting.

"So you're saying you didn't push him?" Bogo glared at rabbit, who was tiny in her seat.

"Yes, sir. I swear it on my badge," Judy replied. Bogo glared at the rabbit for a good ten seconds, his stare scaring the living hell out of Judy. He eventually raised a hand, waving her out of the office.

"I'll be checking with your partner to see if that story matches up. Get out," Bogo ordered. Judy walked to the door behind Bogo, and opened it up. "Wilde! Get in here!" Bogo called out as Judy opened the door. Nick got up, walking past Judy.

"You okay?" Nick asked as he walked past Judy. She gave a slight nod, before closing the door. Nick sat at the chair opposite of Bogo, leaning back and crossing his arms.

"I'm going to read to you the exact account your partner made, and you need to confirm that it's the truth. Understand?" Bogo asked, to which Nick nodded with a sigh. As Bogo went to drone on about Judy's account of things, Nick focused behind Bogo. He could see Judy sitting in a chair by herself. She looked down, her large ears drooped down. Nick ignored Bogo, instead focusing on Judy.

That's when he saw Judy starting to _cry._

Nick's mouth slightly opened, and he felt a gasp escape his mouth. He had to get out of this room. He had to help Judy. The rabbit wiped her eyes, looking away from any passing officers to avoid any sympathy.

"WILDE!"

Nick jumped, suddenly looking at Bogo, who gave him a death stare. "Is what your partner says true?!"

Nick stared wide eyed at Bogo, before suddenly realizing he was still in the interrogation with him. "Uh, uhm…. Yes. Yes, it is."

Bogo narrowed his eyes at the fox, sending chills down Nick's spine. He hoped Bogo didn't question him any further. He _needed_ to get to Judy.

"…You're free to go."

Nick burst out of his chair, quickly opening the door. Judy looked up at him, and forced a smile, but Nick could see her eyes were red. "H-hey, Nick… How'd it go?"

Nick stared at the rabbit, a concerned look on his face. Judy tried to smile at the fox, but her expression eventually dropped, and she rested her forehead on Nick's chest. "Nick… I…"

Nick held the bunny's head close to his chest, comforting her. "It's okay, Carrots… It's okay…"

Judy let the tears flow, soaking straight into Nick's police outfit. She choked out her breaths. She knew she'd _never_ be able to get that image of the broken cat out of her head. Judy suddenly felt an arm wrap under her legs, and another on her back, before she felt herself being lifted up by Nick. Judy wrapped her arms around Nick's neck, a confused look in her eyes.

"Why're you carrying me?" She asked.

"We're partners. We're supposed to support each other. That's why I'm carrying you. I'm supporting you," Nick smirked at the rabbit as he carried her out of the station and down the street that led to her apartment. It was late at night and cold, but Nick's body heat was more than enough to warm the rabbit. She snuggled closer to him, and she actually felt _tired_ in his arms. She allowed herself to close her eyes, and fall asleep in Nick's arms.

Nick entered the apartment building where Judy lived, going up the stairs to her level. He took notice of her soft breathing, and realized she was _sleeping._ Nick had to admit, she looked _adorable._ He reached her apartment door and used the keys that Judy gave him a couple of months ago to open the door. He stepped into the dark apartment, and immediately spotted the bed Judy slept in. He was tempted to lay her there, but he didn't feel up to the walk back to his apartment.

He flopped on his back onto the bed, Judy resting herself against his chest. She felt light, much to Nick's delight. Nick knew he wouldn't be able to move himself now with the rabbit on top of him, so he instead went to close his eyes.

He opened then after a couple of seconds to look at the sleeping Judy. To take in her beauty. He smiled to himself. He was one lucky fox. He slowly leant forward and placed a soft kiss on the top of Judy's head, before leaning his head back onto the bed. He felt an extreme adrenalin rush throughout him when he kissed her. He calmed himself. She would _never_ know about the kiss, so it didn't really matter. If she _did_ know, she'd probably flip. He closed his eyes, before finally letting sleep overtake him.

* * *

 _Vmm, vmm._

Judy heard the phone on her wooden desk vibrate. She slowly opened her eyes. It was still dark outside, but the sun peaked through the edge of the city. She felt herself being held by two strong sets of arms, and she realized those were Nick's arms. She looked at the sleeping fox, his face in a normal expression. She smiled, grateful for how much he cared for her. She slowly leant forward, placing a kiss on his nose. He'd never know about that kiss, but Judy loved it.

She slid herself out of Nick's arms, before slowly walking over to her phone. She turned it on to see a text that ran shivers throughout her spine.

 _Wilde. Hopps. Get down to the station NOW.  
Bring your badges._

 _-Bogo._

* * *

Nick and Judy sat at the opposite end of a table, a terrified look on their faces. Bogo paced back and forth at the other end, his eyes closed in anger.

"Officer Hopps, tell me, what's rule number three of the ZPD?" Bogo asked. Judy straightened up, a determined look on her face.

"Never kill or injure a suspect unless absolutely necessary," Judy said.

"You two learnt that in basic training, yes?" Bogo asked. Nick and Judy nodded. Bogo reached into his desk drawer, before pulling out what seemed to be an autopsy report.

"This is Derek. He was a part of Misker's gang. Eyewitness accounts say he was one of the three members who attempted to rob the Zootopia Bank. Is this correct?" Bogo asked. Judy opened the report, and quickly realized this was the cat with the gun.

"Correct, sir. He even had a pistol," Judy told Bogo. The bull shot a glare at Judy, narrowing his eyes.

"He was found _dead_ when we arrived at the bank," Bogo growled. Judy and Nick's eyes widened, and Judy felt her gut tighten.

"It was a gunshot to the head. Eyewitnesses say you were in a brawl with the cat, and two shots were fired. After you left the scene, a civilian went to investigate the unconscious cats. They were surprised to find one of them had been shot. Everything links to one animal…" Bogo leaned over the table, his eyes red as he glared at Judy.

"You, Judy Hopps, _killed him_."

Judy felt her gut be smashed by a brick. "S-sir! I checked him after the brawl, and he was breathing! I kicked him and knocked him unconscious, but that's all!"

"How do we know you're not lying?" Bogo growled.

"I swear, sir! Check the security camera footage-"

"WE ALREADY DID! What we found was an explosion, and some smoke came from that explosion. You ran into that smoke. We couldn't see anything in that smoke, and when it cleared up, we saw a rabbit running away from the vault. We didn't see you knock him unconscious. We did hear gunshots, and he was found dead after you were done with him. Hopps… You have been taught to disarm and knock someone unconscious. You weren't taught to take the gun and use it against them. You can't hide from us anymore," Bogo spoke in a low, threatening voice.

"You can't do this!" Nick cried out. Bogo sighed, looking at the fox.

"In all honesty, this isn't my decision. It's the big boys in the enforcement. They've made a decision," Bogo held out a hand to the two animals.

"Give me your badges."

Judy and Nick completely froze; their guts and throats tight.

"Y-you can't bring Nick into this, he did nothing!" Judy cried.

"As your partner, if you go down, you drag him with you," Bogo sighed. Judy felt her gut tighten even more. She _never_ wanted to drag Nick down. She felt _horrible._

It was Nick who was first to move, and he slowly unclipped his badge, before handing it to Bogo. Judy reluctantly took hers off as well, shaking as she placed it in Bogo's hand.

"Good. Now get out of my sight. You two are going on trial for murder next week, so unless you somehow prove yourself innocent before then, you'll be going away for a long time," Bogo growled. Nick and Judy looked at each other, terrified. They slowly got off the chairs, making their way out the office. They walked through the empty station, exiting the building. The sun had broken the edge of the city, and it was lighting up the world. It certainly didn't reflect Nick and Judy's feelings of utter hopelessness.

Nick felt Judy take his paw, and he looked down at the rabbit, who had a _determined_ look in her eyes. "Nick…"

"We've gotta find out who did this."


	3. Confessions

**ZOOTOPIA  
APRIL 20**

Nick looked at the city of Zootopia from his apartment, the curtains drawn open on his window. It looked so normal and alive, even at night. It was as if nothing had happened whatsoever in the past two days. He had just lost his badge, and so did Judy. He was hopeless, really. He searched for lawyers for his upcoming trial next week, but no one accepted. Each time Nick heard the word 'refuse', he lost another inch of hope. He drew the curtains closed, going back over to his bed. He had woken up in the middle of the night, and he really shouldn't be losing sleep when the entirety of the next day would be spent searching for a lawyer.

He laid down in his bed, his shirt off but his pants on. The pants were lazy; they were pants he hadn't worn for a long time. He used to be so formal when he was a part of the police force, but he had lost all of that.

' _Someone out there murdered that cat and blamed Judy for it.'_

That was his one and only thought. He had lost his badge due to some _asshole_ framing Judy for a murder. Their trial was next week, and they were sure to get guilty verdicts. He didn't so much care about himself. It was mainly about _Judy._

She had spent all her early years being made fun of and pushed to the limit to become the first rabbit cop. Now everything was just taken away because someone out there wanted to ruin her life. Nick needed to find _who,_ but he had no leads. Nothing.

What a stupid rule. Hand in your badge if you kill someone? Nick hated it. It was made when one officer decided to start a massacre on a town, and then simply state they were all criminals with firearms who refused arrest. The politics spent ages debating, and eventually came to the decision that any officer who killed when they had an option not to would hand in their badge.

What was the point of thinking about this? Judy didn't even shoot anyone. Maybe the cat shot himself in hopes of this happening? It was Nick's only assumption. He turned to face the wall, his eyes still open, his mind still working. He _had_ to find out who did this. For _Judy._

Nick heard a knock on his door, and was at a mix of anger and confusion. Who'd knock on a door in the middle of the night? Hopefully it was important. Nick threw the sheets of his bed off him, walking over to the door to unlock it.

"What do you need…?" Nick's voice trailed off when he saw who it was at the door.

The cute little bunny, up to his chest in height, looking up at him with red in her eyes. It was Judy. She looked as if she had been crying for the longest time. She slowly stumbled towards Nick and buried her face into his chest fur. Nick looked down at the bunny, an eyebrow raised.

"What's wrong, Carrots?" Nick asked as he stroked her head. Judy let out a sob, and slowly lifted her arms to wrap them around Nick. That's when the Fox noticed a newspaper in Judy's hand. He took the newspaper, also returning the hug Judy was giving him.

"Read the front page…" Judy sniffled. Nick unwrapped Judy, but she kept her head buried into his chest. He raised the paper to eye level, and his eyes widened at the text.

 _ **BUNNY COP GONE KILLER!**_

"Oh… Oh my…" Nick could barely find the words to speak. On the front bore a picture of Judy, and the article. It described the assignment she was on and how she killed the cat.

"Everyone knows… The manager kicked me out of my apartment… I get these judgmental stares from everyone… They all think I'm a killer, Nick… Do _you_ think that?" Judy asked as she looked up at the fox, tears in her eyes. Nick wiped those tears, a concerned look on his face.

"Of course not. We're going to find who did this, okay? I promise," Nick whispered. Judy looked up at the fox for the longest of times, before eventually leaning even further into his chest.

"Hold me," She squeaked. Nick did so, hugging the rabbit closer than he ever thought possible. Lord knows she needed this embracement. Everyone thought she was some disgusting killer now. No one knew the real Judy. The Judy that saved many lives, the intelligent Judy who has stopped criminals that could've destroyed Zootopia, the kind Judy who'd do anything to help anyone.

No one knew the Judy that Nick _loved._

Yes, he loved her. He teased her a few times about romantic feelings, but he knew he was in love with her. More than anything. He was positive she didn't return those feelings. It was foolish to solely focusing on loving this one rabbit, but he did it anyway.

Judy eventually left Nick's arms, and slowly walked over to his bed. Nick felt awkward at the fact he had to sleep in the same bed as her, but he was sure she didn't care. Nick opened the page to the full article of Judy's _killing._

It was all basic, and was pretty much how Bogo explained it. There was one spot that interested him, however… It said that the cat _wasn't_ shot with his own gun. He was shot by a different pistol to the one he had. This led the city to believe that Judy was now involved with _black market dealings of guns._

Nick realized this could be his first clue. The black market for weapons… He knew where that was. Finnick had told him about it before. Maybe Nick could get information on who purchased the gun. He grabbed his black jacket, quickly throwing it on before leaving his apartment. Judy was asleep in his bed; she had practically passed out when her head hit the pillow. Nick entered the elevator, going down to ground level. He reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out the black shades that were supposed to go with the jacket. Nick also pulled the hood over his head. He did _not_ want his identity to be revealed.

The elevator doors opened and Nick stepped out, walking out the main door. If the black market was where Finnick said it was, it shouldn't be that far of a walk. Nick read the rest of the newspaper as he walked. There was one other article that took his interest. It was about a recent prison breakout, and now multiple prisoners were on the loose. Nick would have to watch out for them.

Nick eventually reached the location of where Finnick said the black market was, only to find nothing there. There was a single door, however, and Nick knocked on it.

"I'm here to discuss some weapons," Nick called out. He hoped this was the black market, or he'd have some serious explaining to do. The door opened up, and Nick looked down to see a baby bear, who wore a white singlet and messy shorts.

"Uh… Hey, kiddo. I-I must've gotten the wrong-"

"Are you here for the guns dad sells?" The boy asked. Nick's eyes widened, but he hastily shook his head.

"Y-yeah…"

"You don't look like a cop… Come in." The boy moved out of the way for Nick. It was a small house, well hidden. A large bear stepped out from a messy bedroom to meet with Nick. He looked obese but intelligent.

"Uh, hi, umm… So, I-I'm not here to buy anything… D-do you keep a purchase history or anything?" Nick asked, putting on his best smile even though he felt terrified on the inside.

"Ayup… What do you wanna know about?" The bear asked in a loud, booming voice. _'Not very protective, are you?'_ Nick thought to himself.

"Well, a black market gun was used to kill a cat two days ago… It was in the newspapers and all. The gun was this one, right here," Nick hastily opened the newspaper article, showing off the picture of the pistol used. It was found next to the cat's dead body, and had the ballistic markings and the same bullet found in the cat, so it was proved that it was the gun.

"Looks familiar… A 1911. We had one purchase of ammo and a silencer for that two days ago… What do you wanna know this for? You a cop?" The bear asked, a glare in his eyes.

"If I was a cop, wouldn't I have arrested you by now?" Nick stated. The bear nodded in agreement.

"Fair enough. Well, the one who purchased that ammo and silencer was-"

"Dad! You're not supposed to say their name!" The child bear interjected. The bear shot a death stare to his child.

"Oh, she threatened to kill me if I said her name? I'm three times her size and weight. I'll be fine," The bear said.

' _You really are clueless,'_ Nick silently thought, trying his best to keep a straight face.

"Anyway, the one who purchased the ammo and silencer was… What was it again? 'Bell Weather?' Something like that," The bear explained. It took Nick two seconds to realize the name he just said, and he felt his throat go dry, as well as his mind.

" _Bellwether?!_ " Nick screamed. _She_ was out there? _'Wait a minute… Don't tell me…'_ Nick quickly pulled out his newspaper, going to the article about the prison escape. Among the list of escapees was that dreaded name.

 _D. Bellwether._

"Y-you've got to be…" Nick couldn't speak at all. It wasn't definitive that it was Bellwether was the one who shot, but she was the one that made the most sense. Nick's thinking was cut off by screaming.

"You absolute idiot!"

The screaming was followed by a gunshot, and the bear's chest being hit by a bullet. The bear fell to ground after being shot and the boy ran over to him.

"D-dad!" The boy cried as the bear fell to ground. Nick turned to see who had shot the bear.

It was Bellwether.

She held a pistol in her hand, and her eyes met Nick. She aimed the gun the gun at Nick, and the fox backed away, trying to run from the gun. He thanked the Lord when it clicked, indicating it was out of ammo. Bellwether instead threw the gun at Nick and started running. Nick gave a quick chase. Nick ran into a small room with a mattress, so it looked like Bellwether had been sleeping here. Nick heard a door slam, and looked down the hallway to the right of him. He gave a quick chase, and ran out the same door that Bellwether did.

He was met with an alleyway, and looked left and right to look for Bellwether. He then heard footsteps behind him, and turned to see Bellwether, who was waiting besides the door. She held a steel pipe in her hand that had broken off of some water pipes. She swung the steel pipe at Nick, connecting it with Nick's knee.

Nick felt his knee move to the right, and he immediately fell down in pain.

"What a pleasure to meet you here, Mr. Wilde!" Bellwether laughed as she walked around the front of Nick's view. He was on the ground, gritting his teeth in pain as he held onto his dislocated knee. He tried to crawl towards Bellwether, but he moved at the speed of a snail.

"I know what you're going to ask. 'Oh, did that evil Bellwether frame my poor little Judy for murder?' Well, I got your answer. Yes, I did. I was in the bank that day and after Judy told everyone to check the cats, I volunteered. I went into the vault with that pistol, which was silenced by the way, and put a bullet into that little cat's head. I then dropped the gun by his body, and ran out, my face covered with a hood and my voice in sheer terror as I cried 'Oh, what a dreadful sight! That bunny murdered this poor cat!' It was funny seeing everyone's reactions. It was especially funny knowing I had gotten my revenge on you two," Bellwether explained. Nick couldn't _believe_ what he was hearing. This black market supplied her with the ammo and silencer to kill the cat and blame Judy.

"You… _Bastard…_ " Nick growled. Bellwether simply laughed it off.

"Funny thing, though. They'll try to trace the gun to its original owner, only to find it's not mine! They'll find a wolf called John instead… Hopefully he's alive, or that will complicate things for the investigation teams, won't it?" Bellwether simply adjusted her glasses as she said this, a smile on her face.

"Oh, and if you plan to frame me for this in court next week, good luck getting evidence! Without it, they won't believe a _word_ you say," Bellwether smiled.

"Now, let's get on with the fun part. Bye bye, Mr. Wilde!" Bellwether cheered as she swung the steel pipe, smashing it into Nick's face.

* * *

Nick awoke in a daze, his mind in a blur. He felt bruises through his entire body, and he felt his dislocated kneecap. He was going nowhere with that out of place. He sat on his behind, holding his leg slightly bent. He braced himself, breathing heavily, before lightly slapping the kneecap. It moved slightly, but the pain was enormous. He gritted his teeth, sucking in deep breaths as he focused on the knee again. He slapped it with a bit more force, and much to his surprise, it moved back into place. The pain still remained however, and it took him all his strength to get up. He gripped onto his knee, hobbling back to the apartment building.

He had a lead now. Bellwether. He needed to arrest her somehow, or get evidence that proves she shot the cat.

The black market purchase record. He needed it. He tried to open the door to the black market, but it was a locked, and the boy inside could be heard sobbing over his father's death. Maybe tomorrow it would be open… Nick needed that record. Nick hobbled back down the path to his apartment building. Tomorrow he would get that record and prove Bellwether guilty.

Hopefully she didn't get it first.

* * *

Nick opened the door to his apartment and found Judy still sleeping on his bed. It was one in the morning now. Nick hobbled over to his freezer, grabbing some ice. He put the ice in a spare plastic bag he found lying around, and placed the ice bag on his knee to hopefully reduce swelling.

After about twenty minutes, he took the ice off his knee and felt a bit better. He walked over to his bed and laid down in it, just behind Judy. Nick pulled the sheets over Judy, leaving none for him, but he didn't care. He wrapped an arm around the rabbit's stomach, holding her close to him.

"Nick…"

Nick heard the rabbit speak. She was sleep talking. He raised his head up to look at the rabbit.

"Nick… No…"

She sounded scare. Panicked. She was having a nightmare about _Nick._ What was it of? Nick didn't know.

"No… Come back, Nick… Don't die…"

Nick felt a wave of emotions hit him. She was dreaming about his _death._ Why? Her mind wasn't being so kind to her lately.

"No… No, no, _no!_ " Judy screamed as she finally woke up, sitting up in the bed, panicked. Nick wrapped her up immediately, holding her close. He could _feel_ her heartbeat going fast, and he could hear her panicked breaths.

"You're alive… I thought they executed you after you were sent to jail… I thought…" Judy sobbed, burying her face into Nick's chest.

"It's just a nightmare, Carrots. I'm still here. I'll always be here," Nick soothingly said. Judy slightly pushed Nick away, looking into his eyes. He smiled, letting her know he was as fine as he always was. Sure, he had a messed up knee, but she didn't need to know that. Last thing she needed was more stress. She was probably too panicked to hear about Bellwether, too. Save it for tomorrow, Nick decided.

Judy smiled a sweet smile, tears in her eyes. "You'll _always_ be here?"

"Always," Nick promised. Judy looked at Nick a bit more, before leaning forward and lightly pushing her lips against his. It was a soft, gentle kiss that only lasted for four seconds, but it caught Nick by surprised. His eyes widened, and his breathe cut. Judy smiled at him.

"C'mon. You've wanted to do that for a long time, admit it," Judy said. Nick stared at the rabbit for a bit more, before smirking.

"Yeah… You're right," Nick admitted. Judy smiled a bit more, before lying down in the bed. Nick lay down next to her, pulling the rabbit close to him as she snuggled her face into his furry neck.

"I love you, Nick…" Judy softly whispered. Nick smiled at the rabbit, placing a soft kiss on the top of her head.

"I love you too, Carrots…"

* * *

 _ **A/N: Yes, I am aware how Nick fixed his knee was not how a normal dislocated kneecap is really fixed. It's fiction. I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, thank you all so much for your support and kind words! Until next time!**_


	4. Blood

**ZOOTOPIA  
APRIL 21**

The sunlight beamed through the cracks of the curtains covering the windows in Nick's apartment, awakening the fox. Nick rapidly blinked as he awoke and the first thing he noticed was how _painful_ his kneecap was. The second thing he noticed was that his arm was wrapped around the stomach of Judy. He slowly slid his arm away, swinging his legs over the side of his bed making sure not to put too much pressure on his knee.

When Judy wakes up, Nick would have to tell her that Bellwether was behind everything. Then they'd have to go to the black market to get a purchase history as evidence. Then they'd have to find a good lawyer… It shouldn't be that hard, but Nick had a feeling Bellwether would make it hell for him. The day looked cold; clouds loomed overhead and there were some puddles on the sidewalk. Not many animals were walking, most of them just drove.

Nick went to go make coffee, but he didn't have any. Another thing he'd completely forgotten. With no job, and Finnick not accepting Nick into his business anymore, Nick wasn't getting any money. Judy had already been kicked out of her apartment and she was already in a living hell. How long would it be until Nick suffered that same fate?

Judy… That's why Nick was determined to put Bellwether away. Not only to remove a threat, but to prove to Zootopia that Judy wasn't a killer. How quickly animal's opinions change on one another once the media burns them… It disgusted Nick.

Nick heard Judy groan, and he knew she had woken up. The rabbit turned her head to look at Nick, her tired eyes and her down face making the fox feel worse. She forced a smile, however. Anything to keep Nick going.

"Morning, Carrots," Nick said as Judy stood up.

"Where were you last night? I was worried," Judy asked as she walked over to the fox, placing a kiss on his cheek.

"Well, that newspaper article you gave me had one very interesting detail in. The cat was killed with a black market gun," Nick explained. Judy sighed sadly, looking down at the floor.

"Yep… And everyone thought I was doing black market dealings, which did _not_ help…" She groaned.

"So, I went to the nearest black market, just down the road, actually. Finnick told me about it a long time ago. Turns out the gun belongs to someone else," Nick explained. Judy looked up, hope in her eyes.

"Who?" Judy asked.

"I don't know that," Nick said, causing Judy's happiness to deplete.

"But I _do_ know who fired it and killed the cat," Nick said. Judy's hope picked back up again, and Nick _loved_ seeing the spark in her eyes. The fire of finding a clue or catching someone, it was something Nick had never seen in any other animal. It's what made Judy so _special._

"Well, there was a massive prison breakout a couple of days ago… Among those escaped prisoners was Dawn Bellwether," Nick explained. Judy's eyes widened and she felt a weight in her gut heavier than anything as she gasped.

"Are you…"

"Yep. Bellwether stole the gun off someone, purchased ammo and a silencer, and when you left the knocked out cat in the bank, she was there. She took that opportunity to kill the cat, and blame it on _you_ ," Nick explained. Judy couldn't speak or blink. She was completely paralysed. _Bellwether_ … _She_ was the reason.

"That… That _bitch!_ We need to report this to the ZPD immediately!" Judy yelled as she ran for the door. Nick grabbed her arm, stopping her.

"They won't believe a word we say without evidence. We just got our badges taken away, they'll think we're scraping the bottom of the barrel," Nick said. Judy reluctantly nodded, sighing in frustration when she thought it over.

"Okay, so where _can_ we get this evidence to prove me innocent?" Judy asked.

"The black market. If we go down there, I'm pretty sure they'll have a purchase history or something. If we get that, the police will actually believe us. I expect Bellwether to be there though, so we'll go check it out tonight when it's dark," Nick explained. Judy nodded in agreement, before finally, for the first time a long time, _smiling with happiness_. She threw her arms around Nick, holding the fox tight to her.

"Thank you so much, Nick! I love you so much!" Judy cheered. The rabbit was basically _hanging_ off the fox's neck. Nick returned the hug, feeling happy at the rabbit's utter joy. It was something that was so good to see.

"We'll clear your name, Judy. I promise…" Nick whispered.

* * *

Nick put on his black coat, turning off the last light in his apartment as Judy and he stepped out into the hallway. They made their way to the elevator, going down to ground floor. Nick had to admit, he was scared. What if Bellwether found them? He'd make sure that Judy was safe, at least. They walked out into the rainy outside, turning left to the black market. Judy seemed excited, but she had a weight in her stomach that she couldn't describe. Bellwether was hopefully alone… Maybe Judy could arrest her? She might have gotten tougher in the police force, but Judy spent 100 days in tough basic training, and although Nick hadn't done the 100 day course, he was tough as well. They could take on Bellwether easily.

But Bellwether wasn't that stupid. She would defiantly have some sort of back-up. Maybe some tough prisoners that broke out alongside her? That was probably the case. If that was so, Nick and Judy would have to sneak in, grab the purchase history and make a break for it. Nick realized that by going at night, it probably gave Bellwether more time to grab the paper… He would have to steal it back if she did. Nick spotted the black market building, and saw and heard no one outside it.

Nick pressed an ear to the door, and could hear only breathing. It sounded young, however. Too high pitched for Bellwether or any tough prisoner. It was probably the child bear that Nick saw yesterday. Nick didn't take the risk of knocking, however. There was a likely chance that Bellwether was in there.

Nick tried to open the door, but it was locked.

"Hold on, I can open it," Judy whispered as she approached the door knob. "They teach you how to pick locks in training. This seems like an easy one…"

"I think there's a cub in there, so try your hardest not to scare him," Nick whispered to the rabbit. She continued to pick the lock with her claws for about thirty more seconds, before finally a click sounded, and the door was open. Judy quietly snuck in, and immediately spotted the young bear behind the counter. Judy smelt the rot of a corpse, and saw a large bear, dead on the floor. He looked as if he had been there for about a day. Nick saw the body, too, and realized it was the cubs dad.

"H-hey, kiddo…" Judy whispered to the cub. The young bear looked up, and his eyes filled with rage.

"Get out of my father's store!" He screamed, before raising the pistol he had been hiding in his lap, aiming it at Judy's head.

"Hey, hey, don't!" Nick yelled as he stepped in. The bear recognized Nick, and instead pointed the gun at him.

"What are _you_ doing here?! You got my dad killed!" The cub screamed.

"N-Nick?! What's he talking about?" Judy asked in panic.

"No, I didn't mean to! It was the sheep's fault! I'm trying to catch her! I'm trying to avenge your dad!" Nick explained. The cub hesitated, his eyes widening.

"Y-you… You're serious?" The cub asked.

"Yes. I am. Now please, give me the gun," Nick softly said. The cub stuttered for a bit, his breathing getting heavier. He finally gave in, lowering the gun. Nick slowly took in his paws.

"Good… Now, I need you to help me," Nick said. Judy has never seen Nick like this before… He was determined. Serious. He was really fighting for her… It made the love Judy had for Nick stronger.

"Do you have some sort of purchase history file? A piece of paper that has the things that animal's bought from here?" Nick asked. The cub nodded, going under the counter and grabbing a worn out folder.

"Dad kept a record so he could track anyone that owed him money… Here it is. I hope it helps," The cub said as he handed Nick the worn out file. Nick opened it up, and as expected, the most recent purchase was Bellwether, with three bullets and a silencer. The one who purchased the gun was someone called 'John Rodwell'

"John Rodwell… That was the wolf who killed his wife, wasn't it? We arrested him," Nick asked Judy. The rabbit nodded.

"Yeah, we got the call from the wife, we got there, and he had already shot her five times… He gave up pretty easily, though. Immediately put his paws up," Judy informed. Nick quickly looked for a place to put the folder away, but he heard some footsteps on the wet puddles outside.

"Nick, we've got company. Three rhinos, coming this way," Judy whispered. Nick turned to the cub, and gave him the folder.

"Hide this. We'll come back for it," Nick whispered to the bear. He nodded, taking the folder and opening the back door. Nick sneaked to the side door that led away from where the rhinos were coming. He slowly opened the door, signalling Judy to follow him.

When he opened the door, he was met with a large bear hiding beside the door. The bear stopped Nick in his tracks, and he kicked the fox back into the building.

"Nick!" Judy cried as Nick stumbled back. The front door burst open and the three rhinos charged in, one of them grabbing Judy by the arms tightly. The bear that had kicked Nick picked him up off the ground, holding him by the arms as well.

"Hello there, you bastards!" A voice called out. It was Bellwether. She walked in through the front door, smirking as the rhino and bear held both Nick and Judy hostage. They struggled, but to no avail.

"Well, it's _lovely_ seeing you two here. How's the knee doing, Mr. Wilde?" Bellwether asked in a sarcastic tone. Nick snarled at the sheep, struggling in the bears grip. "I have one little question for the both of you… Where's the damn purchase history folder?"

Nick stayed silent, and so did Judy. The sheep gave Nick the death stare to end all death stares, but Nick didn't break, instead glaring back at Bellwether. "Well, if you two aren't going to say anything… There's going to be consequences."

Nick and Judy kept silent. Bellwether snickered, reaching into her jacket to pull out a pistol. _The_ pistol. The one that killed the cat, the one John purchased.

"This has one bullet in it. Who wants to take it?" Bellwether asked. Before Nick or Judy got the chance to speak, the child bear came out of the door behind the counter. He spotted Bellwether, and his eyes lit up with rage.

" _You…_ You killed my dad!" The cub cried. Bellwether aimed the gun at the cub, a glare in her eyes.

"Where's the purchase history file? Tell me!" Bellwether yelled. The cub glared at the sheep a bit more, before charging at Bellwether in hopes to attack her. Bellwether simply grinned, readying her finger on the trigger. Judy took notice of this, and her eyes widened with fear.

"No!" Judy cried, but she was helpless as Bellwether pulled the trigger, sending a bullet straight through the cub's chest. The young bear fell to the ground alongside his father, grunting in pain, soon to be dead.

"You psychopath!" Nick screamed, struggling more to get to Bellwether. Judy couldn't even speak as she stared at the bleeding cub, her eyes wide with terror and her chest heaving with panic. Bellwether threw the gun behind her back, sighing in annoyance.

"And that was my last bullet. Guess I have to do this the painful way now," Bellwether said with annoyance. She went up to one of the rhinos, and the large mammal handed her a knife. Bellwether inspected the knife in her hands for a bit, before looking over at Judy and Nick. They both felt a chill down their spines as Bellwether walked over to them, a grin on her face more terrifying than anything.

"So, who shall receive the punishment?" Bellwether asked. "Actually, I'll decide. Don't want you two desperately crying in my face. Hmm… I'll go with…"

Slowly… Ever so slowly… Bellwether pointed the sharp weapon in her hand to one of the animals. She grinned as she looked at her target, and couldn't help but laugh.

"I'll go with you," Bellwether said as she pointed the knife at Judy.

Judy slightly gasped, and she felt everything in her body skip. Nick's eyes widened in panic, and he started struggling even more.

"No! Don't do this, please!" Nick begged as Bellwether slowly walked over to the rabbit, readying the knife in her hand. She placed a hand on Judy's shoulder, bringing the knife closer to her stomach, inch by inch. Judy tightly closed her eyes, trying to get back, but the rhino behind her made it hard. Nick _couldn't let this happen!_ He could only do one thing… One thing to save Judy. One thing to make sure she was _safe._

"Take me instead!"

Bellwether froze, her icy stare looming towards the fox. Judy gasped, looking at Nick. "N-Nick?! What do you think you're doing?!"

"I'm making sure you'll be safe, Carrots!" Nick cried. Bellwether giggled, letting go of Judy's shoulder to instead walk over to the fox. She smirked in his face, a smirk that _pissed off_ Nick.

"Why, aren't you just the knight in shining armor, hm?" Bellwether hissed. Nick glared at the sheep. Judy struggled even more.

"D-don't hurt him! Please, he doesn't deserve it!" Judy cried.

"Oh, there's _nothing_ you can do to change his decision. If he wants to die, he can die…" Bellwether whispered. Nick braced himself for the pain, and Judy couldn't take her eyes away from this madness. Nick took a deep breath, eyeing the sheep.

"Do what you're ab-" He was cut off by Bellwether suddenly thrusting the knife into his stomach.

" _NICK!_ " Judy screamed in desperation as the sheep pushed the knife into Nick's stomach. The fox grunted in pain, shutting his eyes tightly as the sheep pushed the sharp blade into his stomach. Bellwether's evil stare turned to Judy.

"Say… How'd that little saying of yours go again?" Bellwether asked. "Wasn't it something like…"

" _Blood,_ " Bellwether hissed as she pushed the knife further into Nick's stomach.

" _Blood!_ " Bellwether started lifting her voice as she pushed the knife further, causing Nick to wince even harder and double up in pain.

" _BLOOD!_ " Bellwether screamed as she pushed the knife as far as it could go. Blood trickled down Nick's stomach, and he slowly felt his consciousness leave him.

"And…" Bellwether finally took the knife out of Nick, and the bear let go of the fox. Nick immediately fell to the floor in pain, and blood started leaking onto the floor.

"Death."

Judy felt tears in her eyes, and her throat was dry from her screaming. She struggled harder than ever before to get to Nick, who lay on the ground in pain, blood leaking from his stomach. Bellwether clicked her fingers, and the rhino released his grip on the rabbit. Judy immediately kneeled down to Nick, quickly taking off her jacket to place on the stab wound.

"Let her mourn. I'll be dealing with you later," Bellwether hissed as she walked off. Judy was looking into Nick's eyes, which were opening and closing rapidly.

"Nick, look at me, please! You're going to be alright!" Judy desperately cried with tears in her eyes. Judy got up, wrapping her arms under Nick's arms, trying to pull him with all her might, but to no avail. Instead, Nick grunted more in pain. Judy immediately released her grip on him, trying not to hurt him anymore. The rabbit frantically looked around for a phone, and she remembered there was one on the way to the black market. She sprinted her hardest to the pay phone, and immediately used her coins to dial the ambulance. She quickly explained to them that her boyfriend had been stabbed. She needed to get back to him as soon as possible; he'd be bleeding out by now.

Once the ambulance was on the way, Judy quickly ran back to the fox. He still laid on the ground, his breathing in shudders. He felt cold, and his eyes were empty. Judy saw that the blood was leaking through her jacket, and she quickly took off her shirt, not giving a damn she was shirtless as she placed the shirt atop the jacket. She needed to slow the blood loss, and if the blood was leaking, it was starting to go at a quick rate.

Judy heard sirens wailing in the distance, and she thanked all that is holy the ambulance were fast. "You're gonna be okay, Nick… Nick?"

Nick's eyes were closed, and his breathing was soft and low. His pulse was slowing down and he was getting cold to touch. "No, Nick, stay with me!" Judy begged. Nick was unconscious, and that was _really_ bad. The ambulance stopped outside the black market, and paramedics poured out with a stretcher. Nick's breathing was getting softer.

He was _dying._

Judy's eyes were welling with tears at the thought of losing Nick. He was lifted onto the stretcher and taken into the ambulance truck. Judy quickly hopped into the back of the truck with Nick as it took off.

Judy held Nick's paw, rubbing her thumb over it. "You'll be alright, Nick… Please don't die…"

Nick wasn't waking up. The paramedics were putting all sorts of stuff on him, and Judy hoped they could save him. They _had_ to.

The ambulance quickly arrived at the hospital and Nick was taken into the surgery room. They wouldn't allow Judy in. She begged, but she would have to wait until tomorrow to know if Nick was going to live. Judy was shirtless and cold, but she didn't care. All she cared about was _Nick._

Judy knew she could do _one_ thing to help Nick. Get that purchase history file. Bellwether had _completely forgotten it_ , much to Judy's advantage. Judy began sprinting back to the black market, and she was there pretty damn fast. She looked away from the dead bears and quickly went through the door behind the counter. She was met with a bedroom; obviously for the bear family.

Judy began frantically searching, opening every drawer, looking under everything. She started to hear footsteps outside, and saw that a rhino was returning. The same rhino that held her hostage when Nick was stabbed. He carried a knife in his hand.

"Crap," Judy silently cursed, before frantically searching even more. The rhino opened the door just as Judy found the file behind a cupboard. The rhino spotted Judy with the file in her hand, and he grinned with delight.

"You got nowhere to go," The rhino threatened. Judy made a run for the door, but the rhino swiped at her with the knife, cutting her cheek. Judy yelped in pain, staggering at the cut. The rhino grabbed her by the neck and Judy struggled to get out of his grip. She knew that rhino was about to stab her in the back; an instant death. Luckily, the rhino's grip wasn't as strong as last time and Judy escaped. She sprinted out the black market towards the hospital, leaving the slow rhino behind.

Judy felt the cut on her cheek, and realized he had split her cheek. Lots of blood leaked, but it wasn't that bad. Judy hugged the file in her hand; thanking all that is holy she made it out alive. She entered the hospital, shirtless, a cut from a knife on her cheek and a file in her hand, and she was smiling.

"Nick, I swear…" Judy whispered to herself as she looked at the file.

"I swear I will take down Dawn Bellwether."

* * *

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**


	5. And Death

_**A/N: Quick heads up, pay attention to the dates in this chapter, as I do jump around a bit.**_

* * *

 **WARNING: High Level of Violence and Blood in this chapter.**

* * *

 **ZOOTOPIA  
APRIL 22**

"Miss?"

Judy felt her heavy eyes lift to be faced with a female weasel in a nurse's outfit. She was lying on the hospital waiting room seats, still shirtless with a file clutched to her chest. _The_ file that would save Nick and her. Her violet eyes looked around the bright white room, her eyes adjusting to the sight. The first thing she felt was the stinging on her cheek from the knife wound. She slightly felt it, even moving it a bit, which caused an eruption of pain, but she ignored it. That's when she realized something.

"N-Nick… Where's Nick?!" Judy asked in panic, immediately getting up to go to his room. The weasel followed her, placing a hand on the rabbit's shoulder.

"He went through surgery last night. Six hours… He-"

"How is he?!" Judy asked in panic, grabbing the weasel's collar, using her violet eyes to stare panic into the weasel. The weasel felt her throat tighten, but she spoke anyway.

"He…"

" _Tell me!_ _ **NOW!**_ " Judy screamed, causing everyone else in the waiting room to stare daggers at her. Judy was heaving, her paws gripping onto the collar of the weasel's nurse outfit.

"He's alive… But his condition may-"

"Oh, thank _God_ ," Judy sighed heavily with relief. She looked down at the floor, tears in her eyes from relief. "Can… Can I see him?"

"Of course. He was open for visiting just a few minutes ago. He only just woke up. The doctor will explain everything to you," The nurse explained as Judy _jogged_ to Nick's room. She reached the door of Nick's room, looking through the glass to see a sleeping fox. Nick Wilde. She didn't know whether to smile or cry at the sight of this fox. He had stitches in his stomach and he looked like he was in pain. A doctor took notice of the bunny, and took off his face mask as he approached the door. He unlocked it, crossing his arms as he stared at Judy.

"How is he?" Judy asked, her eyes still locked on Nick. The fox had awoken, and he was looking around the room.

"I'm not going to lie, Miss. He _barely_ survived the surgery. We were extremely lucky that the knife didn't hit any vital organs, but it did go in _deep._ He's still in a critical state and any minor sickness or infection will lead to _serious_ consequences. We are keeping him in constant watch until he heals. You can visit him, but please do not distress him or do anything of the matter," The doctor explained. Judy swallowed the lump in her throat, taking a deep breath. She mustn't cry in there… Nick doesn't need to see that.

Judy opened the door, choking back a sob as she took sight of the injured Nick. The fox turned his head to face Judy, his mouth forming a smirk as he saw her. Judy placed the purchase history folder on the table next to the hospital bed and stood next to bed that Nick laid on, taking in _everything_ about him. His tired eyes, his orange fur, the stitches on his stomach… Everything. She noticed that Nick had stretched out a paw, and she placed her paw in his. Judy rested her head on Nick's chest, listening to his heartbeat.

"I'm so glad you're alive…" Judy whispered.

"So am I… And I'm glad _you're_ okay, Judy," Nick smiled. Judy held back the temptation to cry with all her might. She instead buried her face into Nick's neck fur, wrapping both arms around his shoulder. She _never_ wanted to let go. Nick returned the hug, but also noticed something on the table. A folder. ' _Wait… Did she…_ '

"C-Carrots… Is that what I _think_ it is?" Nick asked, pointing to the folder. Judy nodded, a smile _finally_ beaming on her face.

"Yep… The purchase history folder… But… You…" Judy took a deep breath, gritting her teeth. The thought of Nick being stabbed flashed through her head, and she felt tears form in her eyes. Nick gave a concerned look to Judy.

"Carrots…?" Are you-"

"It should've been me, Nick!" Judy suddenly screamed, pushing her head away from Nick's neck to stare at the fox. Nick's eyes widened as he saw the stinging red eyes of the rabbit and tears on the corner of her eyes. "She was about to stab _me_ , Nick, and I _should've_ taken it, not _you!_ You never should've taken it for me! You don't deserve to be like… Like _this!_ Nick… I _dragged_ you down… This is _my_ fault…"

Nick didn't know what to say as Judy continued to stare at him, her violet eyes stinging from tears. That's when she gave up, wrapping both arms around Nick's shoulder, and she finally started to cry. Except… She wasn't crying. She was _howling_. Every single emotion that had been building up since the day that cat jumped off the building was just being released into one, great big cry. Nick held Judy close to him, closer than he had _ever_ held anyone before. Judy's paws _dug_ into his shoulders, her howling still continuing.

"Shh, Carrots… It's okay…" Nick whispered to the bunny. Her sobs got a bit softer, but they were still there. Judy backed away from Nick, staring into his eyes. That's when she leant forward, planting her lips on his quite forcefully. Nick's eyes widened at the sudden kiss, but he eventually closed them, placing a paw on the bunny's cheek. They stayed like that for about a minute, before Judy finally backed away, taking deep breaths. It was only second before she suddenly kissed him again. And again. And again. All of a sudden, Judy was planting kisses all over Nick's face at an _extremely_ rapid rate. Finally, she stopped, staring at Nick again.

"Carrots… You… You really _were_ worried," Nick gasped. Judy's lips wobbled, giving a sudden nod before burying her head into his neck again. Nick had to admit, this was getting a _bit_ ridiculous. He placed a paw on the back of Judy's head and finally, she stayed still. Nick thanked all that is holy, but he was thankful for the fact Judy _cared_ so much. Judy stayed there, rested fully on Nick's chest, being sure to avoid his stab wound. She stayed there for a _long_ time. She _never_ wanted to let go of the fox she loved so much. Her eyes felt heavy, and before she knew it, she was asleep.

* * *

 **TRUCK  
APRIL 17**

"He's waking up!"

John felt his eyes lift finally, and the first thing he felt was the immense pain in his stomach. He was in the back of what seemed to be a truck, and he saw a bunch of prisoners around him. He sat up suddenly, triggering the pain in his stomach.

"Hey, man, stay still. We just patched that up," A prisoner said. The bullet hole in his stomach hurt like hell, but John toughened up, fully sitting up. "How you feelin'? We had to carry you out of that goddamn prison."

"Well, it sure ain't sunshine and rainbows… But I'll live," John snickered. "Where are we headin'?"

"Zootopia, man. Going to outskirts of the city, then sneaking right in, man. It's gonna be great," The prisoner explained. John suddenly felt a rage overcome him when he realized why he wasn't in Zootopia _already._

"Bellwether…" John growled.

"What about her?" One of the other prisoners asked.

"That bitch left me for dead. After I fuckin' trusted her…" John shook his head, his gaze meeting the floor. "She's goin' pay, that's for sure. I'll put one right between her eyes… Wait, where's my gun?"

"Bellwether took it, man. Saw her do it," The first prisoner replied. John gritted his teeth in frustration, slamming his fist down on the ground.

"Godammit! I'll kill 'er! I will!" John screamed. There was a small silence in the truck, but it was dead after a while. John now had one goal… Kill Dawn Bellwether.

"We're nearly there, ladies. I suggest you get ready to haul ass into that city," The driver of the truck announced. John got up, ignoring the pain in his stomach as he made his way to the back door, readying himself for the run.

"Alright…" The truck slowly came to a halt. When it fully stopped, John opened the door. "Run!"

John poured out of the truck with the rest of the prisoners, and saw in the nighttime sky the distant city of Zootopia. He needed transport before any police showed up. John separated himself from the pack, making his way to the road. He saw a car driving by itself into the city, and John quickly sprinted in front of it. The car came to a screeching halt as it spotted the wolf, and John quickly ran around the car, opening the door to see a male and female deer.

"Out! Get the hell out, I'm taking this!" John said as he punched the male deer that was driving, dragging him out of the car. The female deer started to scream, and John was _really_ getting sick of this.

"I've killed before, lady! Wanna be my next victim?!" John screamed as he got into the car.

"No! Please, don't kill me!" The female deer screamed.

"Then get out!" John screamed, and the lady finally obeyed, hauling ass out of the car and running to the downed male deer. John sped off, his teeth in a grit and his eyes in a glare as he approached Zootopia.

"Dawn Bellwether… I am coming for you, you son of a bitch."

* * *

 **ZOOTOPIA  
APRIL 22**

"Miss?"

Judy awoke, catching sight of the doctor. She realized she was still resting on the now sleeping Nick, and she slowly removed herself from him. She looked at the fox again, taking in everything about him, before planting another kiss on the tip of his nose. "He's going to undergo a blood transfusion to replace all that he lost… I recommend reporting this stabbing to the ZPD. I know what's happened to you, Judy Hopps… But they'd still take a suspected murderer's word on something this serious."

"I was going to do that just now," Judy informed as grabbed the file. "Please, don't let him die. He means everything to me."

"I haven't had a patient lose their life under my hands. You can trust me," The doctor said. Judy nodded, a smile on her face.

"Oh, you might want to take your shirt. It was found on Mr. Wilde's body at the time he arrived here," The doctor informed. Judy had forgotten she was still shirtless, her grey chest fur still exposed. She grabbed the pink shirt, putting it on. It was a bit blood stained, but not too bad. She gave one last look to Nick, before turning around and walking out the door. She carried the file tight in her hands, starting to make her way to the ZPD. Finally, she could set everything back in place… This was the vengeance for what Bellwether did to Nick. As she exited the hospital, she looked at the city before her. The sun was setting, orange rained over the skies, and Judy was finally as happy as she used to be.

That was when Judy felt a fist knock into the left side of her head. Judy stumbled, falling to the ground as the file fell out of her hands. "Quick, grab her!" A voice called out, and Judy felt herself being dragged across the floor towards the alleyway next to the hospital. In her dazed state, she saw polar bears and rhinos all around her. One rhino had the purchase history folder in his hand, and Judy wasn't going to let him take that. It was practically her life at this point. She quickly kicked out, breaking free of the grip on her legs, before jumping up.

She got a quick analysis of her surroundings. Three bears, two rhinos. She jumped up, kicking a bear in the chest so that it knocked into the rhino behind him. The two of them fell into the giant dumpster, and the lid smashed down onto them. Judy used the airtime to quickly spin, sending a foot into the bear's head that was behind her. She hit the ground, and ran towards a rhino who tried to punch the ground in hopes of hitting her. Judy slid, tripping the rhino, before quickly jumping up, coming down on the rhino with a foot out.

Judy had one bear left. This bear had his claws out, so Judy had to be careful. She jumped up, grabbing one of the bear's hands before he could swipe at her. She came down with the bear's hand still in grip, and the bear fell with her, his head smashing into the ground with a thud and a crack. Judy looked around for the file, and that's when she spotted _her._

 _Bellwether_.

She was making her way towards an outside flight of stairs attached to an apartment complex, trying to escape from Judy. She obviously had no more guards, so she had to use hiding to her advantage. Judy gave chase to the sheep, but Bellwether turned around, noticing Judy.

"Looking for this?" Bellwether called out as she held the file in the air. She smirked, before reaching into her jacket pocket and pulling out _the_ pistol. Judy froze, her breath cutting and her stomach tightening.

"I stole some ammo for this last night while you were in the hospital. I really don't want to kill you right now, Judy, but if you leave me no choice, I won't be afraid," Bellwether snickered. Judy couldn't do anything in this current situation. Bellwether shrugged, turning and running up the stairs.

That's when Judy saw police cars patrolling around the streets, most likely returning back to their station. Judy couldn't do anything without getting shot, but she needed to attract their attention _somehow_. ' _Maybe… I_ _ **need**_ _a shot._ '

Judy started running towards the stairs, and as planned, Bellwether noticed and pointed her gun at Judy. The rabbit quickly hopped as Bellwether shot, _barely_ missing the rabbit. Bellwether silently cursed as she heard the police sirens, and she gave up on trying to kill Judy and instead started climbing the stairs faster. Judy gave chase, quickly hopping up each stair case to make it to the sheep. She reached the roof, and saw on her right a door that could only be reached from inside the apartment if people climbed that high. On her left she saw Bellwether about to jump to the next building. Judy sprinted to the sheep, and she grabbed Bellwether's jacket, dragging her back. Bellwether fell, rolling on the gravel of the roof. Judy quickly got up, but Bellwether had already started aiming the gun at her.

Judy slapped the gun out of Bellwether's hand as she fired, and a bullet whizzed by her long ears. Ringing was all Judy heard, but she spotted Bellwether running for the gun. Judy grabbed Bellwether, using her other paw to grab for the file in her hand. Bellwether sent an arm flying behind her, hitting Judy in the nose. The rabbit's nose exploded with pain, and she felt blood starting to trickle down it immediately, but she ignored the pain.

Judy hopped onto Bellwether's back, bringing the sheep down. The sudden hitting of the ground winded both animals, and the file fell out of Bellwether's hands. The sheep couldn't care less about that file; she just needed that _damn_ gun. The gun was on the ground by the door, and Bellwether shot her head back, smashing it into Judy's forehead. The dazed rabbit felt her grip loosen off Bellwether, and as soon as the sheep was free, she started to run.

Judy got up, making a run for Bellwether. She tackled Bellwether into the ground, sliding towards the edge of the building. She saw police cars parked outside the building, and officer's pouring out of their cars to go to the stairs. Judy put her knees against Bellwether's chest, and all of a sudden, started _punching_ her. A lot. Judy had _never_ done this before, but she raised one fist in the air, swinging it down into Bellwether's face, before raising another fist and doing the same.

"You feel that?!" Judy growled as she hit Bellwether. "That's from _Nick_ , you son of a bitch!"

Judy threw another punch, before she finally gave up. The sheep was beaten enough, her mouth and nose trickling with blood. Judy panted, looking down at what she had done, and genuinely feeling _bad._ Her paws were stinging and bruised, and blood from Bellwether's face had gotten onto them.

"I didn't want to do this, Judy… But you leave me no choice," Bellwether hoarsely growled. That's when Bellwether reached into her back pocket, and Judy didn't have time to react as the sheep pulled out a knife, sending it into the back of Judy's leg. The rabbit screamed with pain, rolling off the sheep. The back of her leg stung like hell, but Bellwether had started making a run for the gun. Gripping onto the bloody back of her leg, Judy limped towards the sheep with all her might. Bellwether was sick of this.

That's when Bellwether turned, swinging the knife. She swung the knife at Judy, and that's when Judy felt the blade _cut right against her throat._

Judy immediately felt her breath cut as the blade sliced against her throat, and she quickly placed both paws against the cut throat, trying to stop the bleeding. She was sucking as hard as possible, but she was only swallowing blood and getting very little oxygen. She fell to her knees, gagging. Bellwether had started to laugh. A terrifying laugh, scarier than anything before as Judy felt the blood drain from her throat.

"How does it feel, huh? Knowing you're going to die in a minute?" Bellwether cried. Judy couldn't do anything as Bellwether kicked the rabbit in the chest, launching her back. She kept her hands pressed against her throat, her life slowly draining away. Bellwether approached Judy, a knife raised in the air, ready to bring down onto Judy and finally kill her. ' _This is it… I'm sorry, Nick… I failed you…_ '

"Hold it right there!" A voice cried out. Bellwether froze turning around to see John, standing by the door. John had snuck past the police, and had climbed up the apartment building to get to Bellwether when he spotted her fighting Judy on the rooftop. The wolf held _the_ gun in his paws, and it was pointed at Judy. Bellwether cackled, lowering the knife.

"Good to meet you, John! I've already weakened our friend here. Why don't _you_ finish the job, hm?" Bellwether smirked. John kept the gun trained on Judy.

"I want to kill you, Judy," John growled. Judy _wanted_ death. The pain in her throat was too much, and her life was ever so slowly draining.

"But…" John's glare shot towards _Bellwether._ "I know someone who deserves death _even more_."

That's when John aimed the pistol at Bellwether, and before she had time to react, John had pulled the trigger, sending a bullet straight into the head of Bellwether, killing her instantly. Bellwether's eyes went empty, and she fell to her knees, before falling backwards, tipping off the building and plunging into the ground ten stories below her with a thick _smash_.

Judy watched Bellwether fall off the building, but that's when her vision started to go black. Judy guided her vision over to John, who had thrown the gun on the ground. Judy spotted the police climbing up the stairs, and they pulled out a gun, pointing it at John, screaming something Judy couldn't hear. One of the officers saw Judy, and immediately rushed to her side, pressing their paws against the knife wound on her throat.

"Get a medic from the hospital next door!" The officer screamed, but Judy could barely hear him as her life drained even more. Her eyes felt heavy, and her thoughts were now running wild with Nick… She'd miss him so much, but at least he's safe. That was her number one priority, anyway. To keep _him_ safe.

That's when Judy felt the last bit of consciousness leave her, and everything went black.


	6. It's Over

**HOSPITAL  
APRIL 24**

"Doc, it's been _two days._ Let me see my Judy, _please_."

Nick hung his legs over the side of the hospital bed, a long bandage over his stomach where he had been stabbed. He was recovering rapidly, hell, he could even walk now. However, he had heard two days ago, on April 22, Judy had her throat sliced and she bled out to unconsciousness. She was lucky to be next to a hospital, because if she was without care for even a minute longer, she would've died. Judy was also lucky the knife didn't hit the jugular vein; the vein that would've instantly killed her.

Bellwether was dead. Her body is gone and she is gone. Nick never has to fear for his life about her anymore. But Judy was in a critical state… Nick needed to see her, dammit. He _had_ to. They were partners. Partners care for each other, no matter _what._

"It's not so much your health condition that's preventing you from seeing her… Mr. Wilde, are you _sure_ you can control and keep a hold of yourself when you see her? She… She's in an _extremely_ bad state. We can't have you-"

"Doctor, of course I'm not gonna keep a hold of myself," Nick growled. The doctor stopped himself, narrowing his eyes. Nick looked at the doctor's name tag, and noticed a sticker representing a flower on the tag. ' _Very unprofessional, but there's only one explanation… Hope this works._ '

"That sticker on your name tag," Nick started. The doctor started to glare at Nick, shifting himself. "You have kids, don't you?" Nick asked. The doctor's breath cut, he hated talking about his personal life with patients… It always got to him. The doctor slowly, shakily, nodded.

"Doctor, imagine your kid had just been stabbed," Nick said. The doctor's eyes widened, and he started to bare his teeth, but Nick didn't stop.

"Now, imagine you see them in the state that Judy is in right now. You reckon you can control yourself?" Nick asked. The doctor clenched his jaw tightly, swallowing a lump in his throat. He didn't answer, but his expression told everything to Nick.

"Exactly. No one can control themselves when they see their loved ones injured and on the verge of death. If you think I'll be fine in that room, you'll be surprised. No one could be fine in my situation. So don't expect the impossible from me when not even you, an intelligent medical animal, could control yourself in front of your stabbed children," Nick growled. This last week… It had changed Nick. His cocky personality and sly jokes were gone, at least until Judy was okay. He felt _evil_ , but it was for Judy. The doctor grabbed Nick by his chest fur, his emotions getting the better of him as he attempted to shove Nick into a wall. Nick retaliated, pushing the doctor off him. The doctor hit the closed door, and Nick stood up from his bed, the pain his stomach burning, but he ignored it.

"See that little thing you just did, doc?" Nick whispered. He leant forward, a glare in his eyes. "That was a wave of emotions hitting you at the mention of your kids in a bad situation. If you can't handle yourself, neither can me or anyone else. So you will take me to Judy, and you will _not_ remove me if I can't control myself."

The doctor stared at Nick, feeling dumb. How could he just break at a patient like that? That was stupid of him. He cursed himself, before opening the door and signalling Nick to follow him. He led Nick down the hallway, turning a few corners. Nick didn't feel prepared for this whatsoever, but he just needed to see Judy again. He _had_ to.

"It's here," The doctor said as he stood beside a door. Nick placed a paw on the door handle, taking a deep breath. He swallowed the large lump in his throat, before opening the door.

Judy Hopps, once an energetic, loving bunny with a heart of pure gold and a fire more ferocious than anything, was now a rabbit lying in a hospital bed, a bunch of IV's and other medical equipment hooked up to her, a drip feeding her as she kept her eyes closed with her body resting a deep coma. She had stitches across her neck, a sight more haunting than anything as Nick stared at her. He slowly moved over to her, not knowing what to feel. Judy was in a coma due to blood loss. If that was the case…

Judy might die.

Nick shuddered at that thought, his breath being released in shakes as he slowly stretched out a paw to take the rabbits hand. Her paw felt cold. Not dead body cold, just… Cold. Like she had spent way too long out in a freezing day. Nick didn't realize tears were flowing from his eyes until one hit Judy's paw. Nick drew a breath, gritting his teeth, holding back to the sobs. Judy didn't deserve to be in this state at all. She deserved to have her badge; she deserved to save the day. She deserved a better life, something better than everyone hating her. Judy everything that made her back. Except she was stuck.

It was because of that _damn_ sheep. That's why Judy Hopps was confined to this _damn_ bed with these _damn_ doctors and these _damn_ pieces of equipment.

 _Damn them._

"I'm sorry, Judy… I'm so, so, _so_ sorry…" Nick sobbed. Judy didn't respond. A slow beep echoed throughout the room, the beep of Judy's heart pumping. It's rhythmic sound being the only sound coming to Nick's ears. Nick hated seeing Judy this way, he hated it. Her ears were flopped by her side, no energy to keep them up as they normally would. Her breaths were hoarse; she was obviously having difficulty due to her throat. Nick tightly clenched Judy's paw, raising it up to kiss it. He sighed, rubbing his thumb over her paw.

"Mr. Wilde?" A nurse who had jogged in said. Nick turned around.

"There's someone who wants to speak with you in the lobby. He said it shouldn't take long, and you should be back with Miss Hopps in no time," The nurse explained. Nick turned to look at Judy, and he felt as if she would be okay with this. Nick walked over to the nurse, nodding. She led the fox down the hallway, and Nick came to face a wolf in a blue suit with a red tie. The wolf had a female hamster on his shoulder, and she wore a purple suit, nearly matching the wolves.

"Is Judy Hopps still in need of a lawyer?" The wolf asked. Her trial… Judy's trial was happening _tomorrow!_ Nick nodded quickly, and the wolf nodded.

"I'm Phoenix, and this is my partner Maya," The wolf said as he pointed to the hamster on his shoulder. "I'm a lawyer, and I can help prove Miss Hopps' innocence. I just need your approval on this, as I hear she's in a critical state, and I believe you were her partner."

Nick nodded, looking down at the floor. "Am…" Nick whispered.

"Huh?" Phoenix asked.

"I _am_ her partner. I am still her partner. She isn't going anywhere," Nick growled. The hamster on Phoenix's shoulder slapped the wolf's head, puffing her cheeks out in annoyance.

"Look what you've done, _Nick!_ You've gone and made him angry!" The hamster said in a frustrated voice.

"Nick? I thought your name was Phoenix. Did she get our names mixed up?" Nick asked. Phoenix shook his head, sighing.

"No, Maya's nickname for me is Nick. Try not to let it confuse you," Phoenix said. Nick slowly nodded.

"Are… Are you _sure_ you can protect Judy?" Nick asked.

"I have been told my many that I'm the best lawyer around. I have always received the correct verdict in every case I've worked on, and I have gotten justice for all, every time," Phoenix said. Nick felt a bit easier at those words.

"In short, he's pretty awesome," Maya grinned.

"I've just got one question for you, sir, and then I'll let you go," Phoenix said. Nick nodded, hoping to answer whatever this lawyer was about to ask. Phoenix reached into his backpack, and pulled out a _very_ familiar file. The purchase history file.

"Is this of any importance to Miss Hopps' trial?" Phoenix asked. Nick stared at the file… This was the root of it all. The cause of Nick's stabbing, Bellwether's death, Judy's coma… All because of this, and it was now in the right hands of a lawyer.

"That's… The most important piece of evidence you have," Nick said. The fox grabbed the file, flipping to the first page.

"This pistol, the one Dawn Bellwether purchased ammo and a silencer for, do you have it?" Nick asked. Phoenix nodded, showing it to Nick. That was Bellwether's pistol, alright. The one from the black market.

"Well, that was the pistol used to shoot that cat who was a part of the attempted bank heist," Nick explained.

"The murder Miss Hopps' was framed for," Phoenix reminded himself.

"Now, this purchase of ammo and a silencer was made the night before the bank heist, and it was under Bellwether's name," Nick started.

"So, Bellwether shot that cat... There was an explosion in the bank, right?" Phoenix asked.

"Explosion. And when Judy went to chase a culprit, she told civilians to keep the two cats in custody. Bellwether was also at that bank-"

"So, in the smoke of the explosion, Bellwether went to kill the cat using the gun, and then framed Judy," Phoenix finished Nick's sentence. "Sir, I have this case down. I can guarantee you Judy's innocence," Phoenix grinned. Nick smiled for the first time in a while.

"Thank you."

"You'll have to be at the trial to represent Miss Hopps. Be there at 9:40 AM tomorrow," Phoenix explained. Nick nodded, before shaking Phoenix's hand, and walking back to Judy's room. Nick reached the rabbit's room, pulling a chair to sit next to her bed. He grabbed her paw, rubbing his thumb over it before resting his head on Judy's bed.

* * *

 **COURTROOM  
APRIL 25**

"The court is now in session for the trial of Judy Hopps."

Nick sat in the defendant's chair, resting his paws on his lap. He didn't look up; in fact, he drowned out most of the noise of the courtroom. The wolf, Phoenix, stood at the defense bench, making his case, much to the disgrace of a prosecutor opposite of Phoenix. The prosecutor was a wolf like Phoenix, but was a lot whiter. The white wolf wore a red suit with a black undercoat, and he also had _three layers of cravats._

Nick needed to be with Judy. He wasn't with Judy. He needed to be with Judy. He needed to be with Judy. Those were the only thoughts flowing through Nick's head. He needed to know Judy's state. Is she still okay? What has happened in the last hour to her?

' _I'm being overdramatic. She'll be fine; she's still healthy and young… She's fit… She'll be fine. She_ _ **has**_ _to be. I can't lose her…_ ' Nick swallowed down the lump in his throat. He looked up to see that prosecutor making some sort of argument, but Nick didn't listen. Phoenix had a card ready for this. Nick looked down, and he started thinking back to the first time he met Judy.

At first, she seemed like some overdramatic and happy-go-lucky cop who thought everything was perfect. Nick liked watching those kinds of animal's burn, but Judy… No matter what happened to her, she kept going. Nick tried so hard to ruin Zootopia for her, but she overcame him… Nick didn't realize he was slowly falling for her.

' _Carrots… You saved my life!_ ' It was when Nick said that that he realized he was in love with Judy Hopps. This rabbit, the one he annoyed so much, the one that Nick thought hated him, the happy-go-lucky cop, saved his life. She cared enough about him…

" _Objection!_ " Phoenix suddenly cried, cutting Nick's thoughts. Phoenix pulled out that purchase history file, and started making an argument. _The_ argument to save Judy. Nick smiled, looking down at the floor ' _You'll be okay, Carrots… Just hang on._ '

Judy was going to leave that hospital a free rabbit, with her badge back and a smile on her face. That's how Nick pictured it. Judy was going to be fine, Judy was going to be fine; Judy was going to be fine…. Judy was going to be _fine._

"I find the defendant, Judy Hopps, declared innocent of all suspicion surrounding her. When she awakes, she will receive her badge and a formal apology from the heads of the ZPD. She may also press charges if she pleases. Court is adjourned," The judge announced, before slamming down his gavel to end the court session. Phoenix smirked as the tiny hamster, Maya, hugged his arm, cheering at another won case. Nick walked over to the wolf, stretching out a paw.

"Thank you so much," Nick said. Phoenix shook Nick's paw, but that's when the courtroom door burst open, and a weasel wearing a business outfit ran in.

"Mr. Wilde!" The nurse cried. Nick looked at the weasel

"What is it?"

"It's Miss Hopps… She… We're losing her!" The weasel cried. Nick's eyes widened and he felt his gut be hit by the force of a million bricks.

"Take me to her. _Now!_ " Nick cried, sprinting out of the courtroom. The weasel didn't have much choice, and took Nick to her car, driving full speed to the hospital.

Judy was going to be fine, Judy was going to be fine… Nick kept thinking that. He needed to keep thinking that. He can't lose Judy, not _now._ The car reached the hospital extremely fast, and Nick burst through the doors, sprinting down to Judy's room. He didn't give a _shit_ if he was breaking the law; he needed to see Judy _now._

Nick burst through the door, and saw a bunch of doctor's and nurse's surrounding Judy. They were doing some sort of medical exercise, but the only thing Nick picked up on was Judy's heart monitor… The rhythmic beat was different. It was… _Slower._

 _Beep… Beep…_

Nick stayed back from the team of medical animals, his eyes only locked with the unconscious Judy. ' _Judy, please… Hang on… For me… Please._ '

 _Beep….. Beep….._

It was getting slower. The team was getting ever more panicked. Nick was getting more terrified, but he was paralysed. He felt his legs were unable to move.

 _Beep….. Beep….._

The team froze. They realized they were going to lose another patient, but Nick didn't know that. He thought Judy was still going to hold on… That she was going to be okay…

 _Beep…. Beep….._

The team all looked down mournfully, and Nick realized Judy was going to die. He felt his entire body shut down, his legs giving away.

 _Beep….. Beep…._

… _.._

… _.._

… _.._

 _Beep…. Beep…. Beep…. Beep… Beep…_

The medical team jolted for a moment, before suddenly getting back to work. Nick realized Judy was still alive. The team only did three seconds of work before stopping. Nick heard a voice say something that would echo in his mind forever.

"She's waking up!"

Nick finally felt like he could walk. He moved closer to Judy, whose hand was moving. Ever so slowly, her eyelids began to rise, revealing the familiar, violet, beautiful eyes the bunny had. She blinked rapidly, before locking her eyes with Nick's. The fox and the rabbit stared at each other for the longest time, their eyes not moving an inch. The doctor's and nurse's watched their reunion, and for what seemed to be eternity, they just stared at each other.

"Sly bunny…" Nick whispered. Judy smiled, opening her mouth to say something, but choking instead. She placed a hand against her throat, before smiling at Nick again.

" _Dumb fox…_ " She croaked, using all her strength to speak.

Nick released the breath he had been holding, smiling, before wrapping Judy up. Nick held the bunny to his chest, and she returned the hug, tears in her eyes. She sat up, both arms wrapped around his neck as he held her tighter than he has held her before. She was back… She was finally back. Nick leant back, looking at Judy. The rabbit placed a paw on Nick's cheek, and Nick knew what to do. He leant forward, placing his lips on hers. It was a soft, genuine kiss that they'd be waiting to do for way too long.

Her lips were still as perfect as ever. They still were beautiful to kiss. They were… Astonishing. Nick slowly broke away, before pulling Judy in for another hug.

"It's over, Carrots… It's finally over…"

* * *

 **ZOOTOPIA  
MAY 13**

"Lieutenant Judy Hopps, the heads of the ZPD hereby apologize for all errors we have made in wrongfully accusing you. You are now, along with Nick Wilde, accepted back into the ZPD."

Applause broke out through the city as Bogo placed the badges he had taken away back on Judy and Nick's chest. Judy looked at Nick. She still could barely speak, but she was recovering ever so slowly. "Nick…" She whispered. "We're back."

 _I messed up tonight.  
I lost another fight._

Bogo saluted Judy and Nick, and the animals returned the gesture, much to the pleasure of the population of Zootopia. Nick and Judy smiled at each other, and they knew what they had to do.

 _I still mess up but  
I'll just start again._

Nick walked over to the bunny, and leant down to her. She took his cheek in her paw, staring at the fox. Nick took appreciation of her eyes, those violet eyes shining up his world. "I love you, Nick."

 _I keep falling down  
I keep on hitting the ground  
I always get up now to see what's next._

Nick smiled at the rabbit. "I love you too, Carrots."

 _Birds don't just fly  
They fall down and get up  
Nobody learns without getting it won._

That's when Judy planted her lips on Nick's, and the population had another round of applause. Nick softly kissed the rabbit, closing his eyes, only letting her taste into his world.

 _I won't give up  
No, I won't give in  
Till I reach the end  
And then I'll start again_

Nick separated from Judy, a smile still on his face. "I'll always love you, no matter what."

 _No, I won't leave  
I wanna try everything  
I wanna try even though I could fail._

After that week of torture, death, torment, injuries and hell, to be here, with her lover, her badge and a smile on her face was all Judy ever wanted. Judy was an officer of the ZPD. She was Nick Wilde's girlfriend, and she was back where she was a month ago.

But most importantly, Judy was happy.

 _I wanna try everything._

* * *

 _ **THE END.**_


End file.
